Farmers and pastoralists, as well as policy makers, development and humanitarian programmes in Africa are searching for the best ways to adapt to the impacts of climate variability and change. Changes in seasonal rainfall patterns and more unpredictable, severe and frequent extreme events like floods and droughts are already being observed, threatening livelihoods in vulnerable communities.

Most adaptation strategies aim to spread or reduce potential risks, for example by using drought tolerant seeds, cereal banks, diversification to non-climate dependent income sources, weather based insurance products, or early warning systems. Although such concrete measures are essential, climate change is continuous and unpredictable. Adaptive capacity to make informed and flexible decisions for action is becoming even more important to ensure resilience to climate change impacts. Communicating climate information, in ways that users can understand and apply is therefore a critical resource to support effective adaptation to climate change.

This Joto Afrika issue shows how a range of programmes in Kenya, Niger and Ghana are developing approaches to incorporating communication of climate information into their work with farmers and pastoralists in climate vulnerable areas.